Germany’s Merz maintains lead despite setback in latest pre-election poll

BERLIN

Leading German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz has seen his support decline this week, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) maintained its second position, according to the latest poll released on Tuesday.

Merz's center-right Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) polled at 27% in YouGov's representative survey—a drop of two percentage points from the previous week. This marked the CDU/CSU's lowest support level since August 2023.

The AfD remains in second position and would receive 20% of eligible votes, down one percentage point from the previous week, according to the representative poll.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) gained one percentage point to reach 17%, while the current coalition partner, the Greens, stood at 12%.

The most significant shift in the latest poll was an unexpected 3% surge in support for the socialist Die Linke, now at 9%. The left-populist BSW polled at 5%, barely clearing the threshold, while the liberal FDP stands at 4%, falling below the parliamentary entry requirement.

The survey was conducted between Feb. 14 and 17, nearly two weeks after a heated parliamentary debate over Merz's motions and draft law to curb mass immigration.

The initiative backfired for Merz when Social Democrats and Greens accused him of collaborating with the far-right AfD party to pass this legislation—breaking a longstanding principle of non-cooperation with right-wing extremists.

The Left Party strongly opposed the measure, and co-chair Heidi Reichinnek's compelling speech has boosted the party's popularity among voters.

Facing mounting criticism, chancellor hopeful Merz backtracked, saying repeatedly this week that the Christian Democrats would rule out any cooperation or talks with the AfD after the election.

While the CDU/CSU alliance maintains its lead in the polls, it will require a coalition partner to secure a parliamentary majority. Merz has not yet specified his preference between the SPD or the Greens as a potential partner.